Lewandowski's injury leaves Barcelona confused

BARCELONA, THURSDAY — The FIFA virus is affecting Barcelona. This is the headline in several local media outlets in Catalonia, Spain. Less than two weeks before "El Clasico," Barca is suffering due to injuries to several key players, including Robert Lewandowski. The injury to the Polish striker has left Barca in a state of confusion.

The reason is that Lewandowski is someone who understands how to take care of himself. However, he still pushed himself to play fully despite not being in ideal physical condition while representing Poland against Lithuania. Lewy, as Lewandowski is affectionately called, scored a goal that helped Poland win 2-0 in that match.

The focus then shifted not to Lewy's contributions, but rather to a photo showing a bandage wrapped around his left thigh. The photo raised suspicions that Lewy was experiencing discomfort in his left thigh, necessitating the use of a bandage.

The next question is why Lewy insists on playing fully. The concerns of Barca fans were confirmed after the club issued an official statement.

"Robert Lewandowski has suffered a tear in the biceps femoris muscle of his left thigh. The recovery time will depend on the progression of his injury," stated Barca on its official social media account, Wednesday (15/10/2025).

The injury to the left hamstring muscle is not new for Lewy. He previously experienced it at the beginning of the season, which caused him to miss the opportunity to play in the pre-season tournament, the Joan Gamper Trophy. The similar injury that Lewy has suffered again, according to reports from Mundo Deportivo, has left Barca both surprised and displeased.

As a footballer with extensive experience, it is impossible for Lewy not to be aware of the risks of continuing to play when his physical condition is not ideal. For Barca, Lewy should not force himself to play when he feels discomfort while running at high speed.

Recently, Lewy has indeed been more frequently playing as a substitute. Out of the seven La Liga matches so far, Lewy has come on as a substitute four times and has only started three matches as a starting player.

At the age of 37, Lewy is beginning to struggle to compete with younger forwards such as Ferran Torres. The former Manchester City player has started to regularly occupy the forward position that was previously always held by Lewy.

Nevertheless, Lewy remains part of coach Hansi Flick's plans this season. There are times when Lewy is included as a substitute player who can change the outcome of the match (super sub). Such a role has been relatively well executed by Lewy, who has scored four goals in nine matches across all competitions this season.

Lewy is expected to be absent for two to four weeks. However, according to sources within Barca, his injury is considered quite severe, potentially sidelining him for up to six weeks. This situation certainly poses a significant loss for Barca, which will face its eternal rival, Real Madrid, in the El Clasico match on October 26.

The international break can spell disaster for some clubs, and Barcelona is among them. The term "FIFA virus" seems to be associated with Barcelona in recent seasons. The FIFA virus is a term used to describe injuries sustained during the international break.

This is understandable considering that 17 Barca players have been called up to strengthen their respective national teams, thus increasing the potential for many of them to sustain injuries. In addition to Lewy, Dani Olmo and Ferran have also been confirmed to have sustained injuries while representing Spain.

"We experienced many injuries at the beginning of the season, but that is part of football. It happens at every club. Sometimes these things are truly beyond control," said Barca defender, Eric Garcia, as quoted by Football Espana.

This is not the first time Barça has been affected by the FIFA virus. Star forward Lamine Yamal suffered an injury last September that caused him to miss four matches for Barca. Flick is reported to be furious about how the Spanish national team managed Yamal's playing time.

Aside from their unfortunate fate, Barcelona at least received good news with the recovery of goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The German passport holder is currently undergoing rehabilitation after undergoing back surgery, which has kept him sidelined until January.

However, his future at Barca remains uncertain as Joan Garcia has been impressive this season. Even if he fully recovers, Ter Stegen is likely to only serve as a bench warmer.